


Dream of a Lifetime

by fawatson



Category: Transients in Arcadia - O.Henry
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:47:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21839941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fawatson/pseuds/fawatson
Summary: Every year Mamie and Jimmy return to Hotel Lotus.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	Dream of a Lifetime

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Visardist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Visardist/gifts).



> **Requests:** What-ifs would be interesting. I feel like the climax took such courage on Mamie's part: tell me what happens if she doesn't admit it? Or if she doesn't but Jimmy does? Or other permutations? Alternately, how about an outside POV on their courtship? The hotel staff and guests adore Mme Beaumont and seem neutral on Harold Farrington; how do they view the chance connection and subsequent time together during their stay? Do Mamie's co-workers rib her about her new beau, or do Jimmy's gossip about how he caught the eye of the beautiful girl who ordered that dress? - Author's response: sorry, all your prompts were good and helped this request catch my eye, but in the end the twist that came to my mind was something quite different!
> 
> **Disclaimer:** I do not own these characters and make no profit by them.

Every July for the past twelve years the Beaumont-Farringtons had arrived at Hotel Lotus for a week. They only stayed one week, always toward the end of the month. The hotel had come to expect them. The concierge greeted them on arrival with the air of welcoming the return of valued friends, and for their part the Beaumont-Farringtons greeted the staff as if they were very pleased to see them again. They showed an interest when new staff joined, and expressed all the right sentiments when told that so-and-so had now left to be married, or that such-and-such had moved on because he had found work elsewhere, or even that the junior who had started on the desk three years before had now been promoted. Not that there was any hint of over-familiarity in the hotel staff’s greeting, any more than there was unwelcome condescension from these guests. Everyone knew his place. But there was no question the Beaumont-Farringtons were preferred customers (particularly Mrs Beaumont-Farrington, the warmth of whose smile won hearts easily), and that they, in turn, had a special fondness for Hotel Lotus. They had met here, years ago, and liked to mark the anniversary of that felicitous occasion by returning each year for a relaxing holiday. 

Each day they breakfasted at 10:00 a.m., which was a good time. Businessmen who had meetings would have eaten as soon as service began, eaten hastily, and left. Families with young children tended to dine at 9:00 a.m. because they wanted to get it over with early enough to get out to see the sites or go to Saks to renew, and the tables were busy and room noisy. Not that there were all that many children, and they were normally quite well-behaved under the watchful eyes of their nannies and tutors; but the ambience of the room was decidedly different when children were present. However, at 10:00 a.m. it was possible to have breakfast without needing to feel rushed because the catering staff had started to clear away and set up for luncheon. 

The Beaumont-Farringtons tended to stay in, establishing themselves in one corner of the guest lounge, she busying herself with a sketch pad with a veritable rainbow of coloured pencils, while he read the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Having enjoyed a full morning meal, they eschewed any midday meal, preferring to wait until tea-time, which they took in the palm room, enjoying its lush verdant qualities to the full, and the ornamental fish pond beside which the Lotus had positioned delicate wrought iron tables and chairs. Dainty ham and cucumber sandwiches with the crusts trimmed from thinly sliced bread, and petit-fours coloured delicate pink, came with scones and strawberry jam and Earl Grey. Husband and wife took it in turns to choose which tea service would be used (he favoured Villeroy & Bosch while she preferred Spode). 

After tea, Mrs Beaumont-Farrington read Harper’s or chuckled over the latest story by O. Henry. Mr Beaumont clearly had a more serious turn of mind and carried with him a copy of Emerson’s Essays (the first volume, of course) which he never seemed to open; but he could be seen enjoying _Adventures of Huckleberry Finn_. 

The last day of their visit Mrs Beaumont-Farrington lingered in the hotel’s gift shop, where she selected a book of paper dolls for her daughter, and Mr Beaumont-Farrington was seen to help her choose just the right kite for their son. 

“You _have_ been missing them,” he said. 

“Far more than I expect they have missed me; they were so excited to be going with your mother to Mackinac, especially Harold who I swear had plans to climb over every inch of the Fort.”

“They will have missed you,” he was overheard to murmur comfortingly, “no matter how much they enjoyed their little holiday.” 

They always ordered the same evening meal for their last night, the exact replica of the meal they had eaten on their last night of their very first stay: mussels in white wine followed by roast duck á l’orange with crushed potatoes with rosemary, green beans and red cabbage, with a dessert of fruit compote with shortbread biscuits. While she bathed and dressed for dinner, he ordered an orchid corsage for her and the hotel barber gave his hair a quick trim. He was seen to bow deeply and kiss her hand when she joined him at their table on the balcony. 

They spoke little but dined well, and finished their ices and claret cup. Mr Beaumont-Farrington had ordered a pot of coffee (which always arrived with the little almond biscuits that were the hotel’s speciality) and then dismissed their waiter. They would serve themselves. 

“To think it all started here,” reminisced Mamie, “at this very table.” 

“Well, not quite here,” replied Jimmy as he added cream to his coffee. “We actually got the idea when we went to Coney Island the next week.” 

“But we met here,” reminded Mamie, “and if I hadn’t plucked up the courage to tell you the truth that last evening as we dined, we’d have gone our separate ways and never met again.”

“We might have met,” Jimmy corrected. “After all, you _was_ in debt to O’Dowd & Levinsky for the hire-purchase of your gown, and I was a collector for them.” 

“But not the collector for my part of town, so chances are….”

“Chances are–” He allowed her that. “But we did meet, and you did ‘fess up’, and you did get that idea, for it was _your_ idea–”

“But your _business_ acumen….” 

They sat back and beamed at one another in mutual satisfaction for a minute before each took another almond biscuit and sipped their coffee. 

“Every year I love this week,” she said finally, “but it will be nice to get back to Dream of a Lifetime.”

“Who would have thought, all those years ago, that our own ‘dream of a lifetime’ would lead us to start a business that helped other people to the holidays of their dreams and turned our own fantasy into everyday reality.”

Coffee finished, they folded their napkins neatly on the table; Mrs Beaumont-Farrington took Mr Beaumont-Farrington’s arm as he escorted her to the elevator. She smiled graciously at the elevator attendant, while he tipped generously, and the noiseless cage ascended to the penthouse suite for their last night at the Lotus. 

Until next year.


End file.
